Jaws, a prehistoric prequel

The 155 million-year-old skull of a sea monster described as the most fearsome creature that ever lived has been seen by the public for the first time. The pliosaur, whose reconstructed skull is 2.4m (8ft) long, had the biggest bite of any animal and its jaws could have broken a car in half.

At 95 per cent complete it is the best pliosaur skull specimen in the world and was unveiled yesterday by Sir David Attenborough at Dorset County Museum. Remains of the body have never been found.

Bones from the skull of the creature, which could grow to 16m long, were found at Weymouth Bay by an amateur collector, Kevan Sheehan, between 2003 and 2008. He said: “It was sheer luck — I was sitting…